


the difference between thinking, knowing, and understanding

by beanfriedfritters



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Not Happy, Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Spoilers, Watched Endgame. It Broke Me., ended up writing depressing shit again :), everyone but peter and harley are just mentioned but like they’re heavily mentioned :), was gunna ignore it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 22:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18748237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanfriedfritters/pseuds/beanfriedfritters
Summary: peter and harley talk to each other on a roof after tony’s death. they can’t say his name.





	the difference between thinking, knowing, and understanding

Peter perched on the rooftop of Stark Tower, his silhouette stark against the dusky sky of the New York sunset, dressed in full spider-man attire. He didn’t notice the figure behind him until they put a hand on his shoulder. Spider-man swung around, fists up. But when he saw that it was just Harley Keener, he lowered them. He wasn’t a threat.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Peter.”

The lenses of his mask squinted, his head cocking slightly to the left, “You know who I am.”

The taller boy shuffled, “Yeah. To-“ He broke off, “He told me about you. You know who I am too.”

Peter nodded. He didn’t need clarification. They both knew who told Harley.

Peter pulled off his mask. 

Peter sighed and sat down on the roof, legs dangling off the edge, “I don’t think it’s properly sunk in yet. But I see his face everywhere. Even now I’m sat on a building with his name across the top.”

The other boy took a seat next to him, both far past caring how dangerous a fall from this height would be, “Don’t feel like it ever will sink in. He was too much to ever just blend in to everything else.” He squinted at the sun, “Feels almost wrong that the city is recovering when he never will.”

“Pepper said that he is. That he’s resting now.” Peter shook his head, “But resting would mean it’s a temporary thing. And this one? I don’t think it’s temporary.”

“Pep said the same thing to me. Said it’s time he slept a while.” Harley looked away from the sun, down to the shaded streets below, “I don’t think Pepper’s allowing herself to believe it.”

“I think Pepper always knew that one day he wouldn’t come home from a mission, I just don’t think she expected to be there when it happened.”

They sat in silence for a little while.

Harley pushes his jaw out and exhaled, the air pushing his fringe up forcefully, “During the Mandarin, he endangered her, selling out their home like that, and I know that that was when he first thought of the Rescue armour. Something to protect Pepper when he couldn’t.”

Peter smiled, “No. I know that her armour was something else, something they both wanted once Morgan was born. I think it was a promise.” Peter cocked his head again, “Though I’m not sure of what.” 

The smile on his lips didn’t leave, only receded slightly, as Harley said, “Morgan reminds me of him.” 

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Chaos rolled into one ball of generous genius.” Harley’s lips pulled up, and Peter couldn’t help but mirror it.

“He really was,” A pause, then, “Now she’s taken his place.” His eyebrows scrunched up. 

“No.” Harley spoke firmly, “Not his place. She’s got too much Pepper in her to do ever do that. She’s got her own place.” 

Peter shuffled closer and nudged his shoulder lightly against Harley’s, “You’re right. Morgan’s chaos rolled into a sensible genius.”

They laughed together, somewhat. 

——

Later, once they’re sat on his sofa, they cry. They cry together, for the same man, for different experiences, for the same reasons. 

Tony Stark was a hero. And he died to save a billion people.

But sometimes, only sometimes, the people he left behind in this mortal world, wished they could turn back time. Wished they could take his place. Wished they could have stopped Thanos before he reached Tony Stark. Or before Tony Stark reached him. 

But they know that wishes are all they can ever have. Because they understand that he did it for them. So that they could have the future he always wanted. So that Morgan could grow up in a happier world, with a mother, and two brothers; a better life than he ever had.

They didn’t think that they liked it. But they knew that he Tony was a certified genius. That he was their genius. So they understood, that Tony Stark did what was necessary, and that bringing him back, would erase his one last sacrifice.

**Author's Note:**

> the ending went weird and doesn’t make sense but lalalalaa i cant hear youuu :)


End file.
